Richard Hudson's bipartisan bills pass House

Bipartisan bills sponsored by U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican who represents the 8th District, passed the House of Representatives on Friday.
The bills are part of a package of legislation to combat the opioid crisis.

Hudson serves as a leader on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the panel tasked with writing most of the nation’s health care laws. Recently, the committee has worked to learn more about how and why the opioid epidemic happened and what legislative solutions can be pursued.

“Seventy percent of heroin addictions begin in the family medicine cabinet. This is the front line in this all-hands-on-deck fight to end the opioid crisis,” said Hudson. “This isn’t a partisan issue – it’s an American one, and I’m proud of the bipartisan work we’ve done to stop the deadly cycle of opioid addiction.”

Hudson introduced the Sound Disposal and Packaging Act with Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat from North Carolina’s 1st District. It seeks to encourage and promote improved packaging and disposal methods for opioids.

The Safe Disposal of Unused Medication Act is meant to prevent the misuse or diversion of unused medications by equipping hospice professionals with the legal authority to safely dispose of unused drugs after a hospice patient’s death.

The legislation follows the passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act by the last Congress, as well as the $4 billion appropriated earlier this year to help combat the opioid crisis. These efforts are supported by 161 patient advocacy groups.